Lions met with former Jaguars starting guard, what it says about Christian Mahogany’s future
The Lions may be looking at a full on rebuilt offensive line
The Detroit Lions have done a ton of work on their offensive line during free agency. They brought in Cade Mays and Larry Borom and then got back Juice Scruggs in the David Montgomery trade. Now it looks like they may have some interest in a guard.
Lions met with guard Ben Bartch on Monday
The former fourth-round pick has been in the NFL for some time now, and it’s fair to say he hasn’t had much on-field experience, but when he has played, he’s looked really good as a left guard. The Jaguars drafted him and immediately stuck him at right guard. In 2021, he started the majority of the season for them at the position, and he showed himself to be a solid pass blocker and run blocker. He allowed 24 pressures and three sacks.
In 2022, he was moved to left guard, where he started the first five games of the season and allowed seven pressures but no sacks. He was putting out some elite pass blocking grades and above average run blocking grades, and then he dislocated his knee and missed the rest of the year.
When he came back in 2023, the Jaguars had traded for Ezra Cleveland, and then they waived him. He went to the 49ers, where he’s been coming off the bench the last two seasons. In 2025, he played heavy snaps in six games and played really well, but dealt with injuries again and was put on injured reserve.
So what does this mean for Christian Mahogany? If Bartch were signed, he’d compete with Mahogany, but Mahogany would probably beat him out. More than anything, this shows the Lions are looking at competition for him and that his starting job in 2026 is not a guaranteed thing. If the Lions are looking, Vega Ioane from Penn State at 17 would be an insane NFL-ready player to grab and would strongly strengthen this offensive line. Don’t rule out guard for the Lions.